By Charles Adingupu
Nigerians woke up to the unexpected news on Thursday that the Revenue Mobilisation, Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) had proposed a 114% increase in the salaries of elected politicians including the president, governors, lawmakers, and judicial and other public officers.
The announcement had elicited angry reactions from
Nigerians who were vehement in their opposition to the proposal, some of whom cautioned President Bola Tinubu not to assent to what they described as ” vexatious proposal.”
Dr. Reuben Abati of the Arise morning TV show on Thursday, advised the president to jettison the proposal without delay as Nigerians are yet to come to terms with the debilitating effects of the subsidy removal so
any proposal for increment of salaries of public officers and politicians is in bad taste.
The Arise TV anchorman said that the issue would be a test case for the new Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, as Nigerians wait to see if he would give his assent to such a request in the midst of glaring poverty in the land.
The national President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) Comrade Joe Ajaro while reacting to the 114 percent payrise, said it had shown that government is grossly insensitive to the plight of Nigerian workers.
He noted that the request for upward review of workers’ monthly salary in order to cushion the effects of the subsidy removal, had become the subject of litigation at a federal court.
In the same vein, his counterpart in the Trade Union Congress (TUC), Comrade Festus Osifo, has declared the government insensitive to the plight of Nigerians by reeling out such proposal for increment of salaries of elected public officers including the President, Governors and others.
Also, the national President of the Academic Stuff Union of Universities (ASUU), Professor Emmanuel Victor Osodeke blasted the federal government for contemplating pay-rise for a category of political office holders when Universities in Nigeria are still in shambles.
Prof. Osodeke recalled that for years now the union had been agitating for improved welfare for University teachers in order to checkmate the incessant brain drain in the system all to no avail.
“The environment in Nigeria’s universities is currently begging for attention”, Osodeke stated, adding that the dearth of learning materials had reduced them into glorified secondary schools.
Mr. Rufai Oseni, Arise morning TV show anchorman, said the proposal was clear demonstration of government’s insensitivity to the people.
He said that apart from the fact that it was ill timed, it was better that the total emoluments of elected politicians and public officers be slashed so that there would be enough funds for governance.
It would be recalled that RMAFC chairman, Muhammadu Shehu, represented by a federal commissioner, Rakiya Tanko-Ayuba, had presented reports of the reviewed remuneration package to Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State, on Tuesday.
Shehu was reported to have urged the 36 states’ Houses of Assembly to hasten efforts on the amendment of relevant laws to give room for upward review of remuneration packages for political, judicial and other public officers.
He said having considered the impact of the review on the economy, the remuneration of the political, public and judicial office holders in the country was adjusted “upward by 114%.”
The chairman explained that with respect to the judicial office holders, the commission considered the introduction of three new allowances.
RMAFC is saddled with the responsibility of determining the appropriate remuneration for political office holders including the president, vice president, governors, deputy governors, ministers, commissioners, special advisers, legislators and the holders of the offices as mentioned in sections 84 and 124 of the constitution.
The proposal, which was developed during ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s tenure, needs the approval of 2/3 of states assemblies before it is presented to the President for assent.
However, reacting to the development over the phone, the Public Relations Officer of RMAFC, Christian Chukwu, explained that the commission only began the review process in February.
“The truth of the matter is that the review is just like what we do in the revenue allocation formula, it takes some process. We had a general public hearing which took place in February and the story flying is that it took place in January 2023. How can it take effect in January when we started the process in February?
“The process involves sending it to the president after the review. The president will forward it to the National Assembly, the National Assembly after deliberation will now send it back to the president for assent then it becomes law,” he said.
